Device for hanging pictures and the like.



PATENTED NOV. 14, I905.

F. E. MILLER. DEVICE FOR HANGING PICTURES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15, 1904.

n 6 w M @1 6; WMA

FREDERICK E. MILLER,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DEVBCIE FOR HANGING PICTURES AND THE LIIIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14:, 1905.

Application filed August 15, 1904. Serial No. 220;784.

To all whom it 772/(1/Z/ concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERIOK E. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and use ful Improvement in Devices for HangingPictures and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for hanging pictures and the like, andhas for its object to provide a new and improved device for thispurpose.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure1 is a side view showing a picture frame with my invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the parts in a differentposition. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the picture-frame. Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 3, showing one form of adjustment. Fig. 5 is a viewshowing one of the adjusting-pieces.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a device by means ofwhich pictureframes and the like may be properly supported.

As illustrated in the drawings, I attach to the back of the frame A, ateach side thereof, a rod or guide B. These rods may be fastened inposition in any desired manner and as herein shown are formed at theirends with an angular end piece B, so that there will be a free spacebetween the main portion of the rod and the frame. These rods arepreferably inclined with relation to the edges of the frame. Associatedwith each rod is an adjustable engaging piece C. Each of these pieces isprovided with a hole C, into which fits the rod B, and thesuspendingcord D is connected to said adjustable engaging piece. Theopening C is preferably slightly larger than the rod, so that theengaging piece may be slid therealong. When tension is put upon thesupporting-cord, the engaging pieces are tilted, so as to grip the rodsB and be held firmly in place. Under these conditions the adjustableengaging pieces remain fixed and the frame will be supported by them.When it is desired to adjust these pieces, the tension on the cord mustbe relieved or they must be moved, so as to remove the binding action,and may then be slid up or down. When tension is again applied to thecord, they will bind the rods done by sliding the adjustable engagingpieces up or down along the rods B. If they are moved upwardly, theangle between the frame and the wall is lessened, while if they aremoved downwardly this angle is increased. This arrangement may be usedin connection with a single suspending-cord looped over a support, orwhen two separate suspendingcords are used one is attached to each sideof the frame. If the top edge of the frame is not horizontal, forexample, and it is desired to straighten it up, this may be done bysimply moving one of the adjustable devices until the proper result issecured. If the inclination is but slight, the frame may be straightenedup by rotating one of the engaging pieces about the rod, so that ittakes the position shown on the right in Fig. 4. When it is desired tohave the frame hang substantially flat against the wall, the adj ustableengaging pieces are moved up to the ends of the rods, so as to engagethe angular pieces B, as shown in Fig. 2. The adjustable engaging piecesC are preferably placed upon the rods B while they are straight, saidrods being subsequently bent to form the angular pieces B.

It will be seen that by this construction a simple, cheap, and efficientmeans is provided for hanging picture-frames and the like and by meansof which such frames can be easily and quickly adjusted to any desiredposition.

I have described in detail a particular construction embodying myinvention; but it is of course evident that the parts may be varied inform, construction, and arrangement without departing from the spirit ofmy invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the particularconstruction shown.

I have used the terms picture and picture-frame in the specification andclaims for purposes of convenience, for I use such terms in their broadsense to comprehend and include frames and devices of all kinds which.are customarily hung upon the wall.

When it is desired to have the frame hang against the wall, the engagingpieces are moved so as to be substantially parallel with the rod, asshown, for example, in Fig. 2. This position of the frame is madepossible by the fact that the rods B run a considerable distance abovethe center of the frame. The inclining of the rods inwardly from thebottom IIO toward the top tends to relieve the strain on the engagingpieces and assists in permitting the engaging pieces to project in anydirection therefrom. This is particularly true when a single cord isbrought together at the suspending end, so that the two branches areinclined in other words, when the cord is V-shaped when in position.

I claim 1. The combination with a picture-frame of a substantiallysmooth rod connected thereto, an adjustable supporting engaging deviceslidably and rotatably mounted upon said rod, a suspending-cord fixed atone end to said adjustable engaging device so as to tilt it and cause itto engage the rod when tension is applied to said suspending-cord theframe adapted to be adjusted by moving the engaging device along therod, the finer adjustments being made by rotating the engaging deviceabout the rod.

2. The combination with a picture-frame of a rod connected thereto, aslidable adjustable engaging piece provided with a hole into which saidrod is received, a suspending-cord connected with said adjustableengaging piece at one side of said hole and adapted to tilt the piecewhen the frame is suspended thereon so as to cause it to grip said rodand retain its position thereon, said engaging piece free to swing aboutsaid rod so as to adjust the length of the cord without longitudinalmovement along the rod.

3. The combination with a picture-frame of two rods connected thereto,one at each side of the frame, an adjustable engaging device associatedwith each rod and consisting of a flat piece having a hole therethroughinto which the rod is received, said hole slightly larger than the rod,a suspending-cord adapted to be connected with said adjustable engagingpieces at one side of the holes through which the rods pass, the partsarranged so that the weight of the device causes the fiat engagingpieces to be tilted to grip the rods at the points where they passthrough the said pieces, so as to support the frame said engaging piecesadapted to be rotated about said rods so as to project in differentdirections therefrom and to be held in any of these various positions.

, FREDERICK E. MILLER.

In presence of FRED. Gr. Frsonnn, LUoY A. FALKENBERG.

